First, my PSN name is OmegaAmen.
Well, the thread says All Purpose PS3 thread, not Ryan's personal shopping list. So for other prospective PS3 owners, I will include FPSes (even though I prefer the PC version far more, if they are available).
PS3 Themes:
First, you got to play with themes on your PS3. They are all free, even on the PSN store, plus people make their own themes.
This is an awesome MGS4 PS3 theme that you can install on your PS3. It even features some Metal Gear sound effects.
You can also find a bunch of themes at
http://www.allps3themes.com/ If you quickly want a bunch of great ones, search for "m0dus" (without the quotes).
Now here is my list of games ordered by retail/PSN and availability. Not every single game will be to everyone's taste, but the consensus is these are considered the better games for the PS3. Retail PS3 exclusives are in
bold.
Available Retail Titles to consider:
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the PatriotsGrand Theft Auto 4
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Uncharted: Drake's FortuneAssassin's Creed
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (also on PSN for download)
Burnout: Paradise
DiRT
GRID
The Orange Box (if you don't have a good gaming PC or 360 and have not played Half-Life 2/Portal/Team Fortress 2, play the Orange Box since it still worth experiencing even if the performance is not consistent.)
Resistance: Fall of ManRatchet and Clank Future: Tools of DestructionUnreal Tournament 3
Heavenly SwordFolkloreDevil May Cry 4
Ninja Gaiden SigmaVirtua Fighter 5
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Warhawk (also on PSN for download)
Rock Band
SingStar (if you like karaoke, very big in Europe)
Available PSN Titles to consider:
Super Stardust HD (Best PSN game IMO, make sure to get the Solo Add-On pack, and Multiplayer Add-On pack will be released later)
Everyday Shooter (There is a PC version on Steam)
echochrome
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online
PixelJunk Monsters (Huge hit on PSN)
PixelJunk Racers (Not many people like it, but I have grown fond of it. Maybe if it gets cheaper, I can recommend it widely.)
flOw (Definitely not for everyone. It is an unusual and unique experience though.)
Future Retail Titles to keep an eye on:
Soul Calibur 4
LittleBigPlanetSOCOM Confrontation (Online Military Shooter of popular franchise, should come with a very nice Bluetooth headset)
Bioshock (Yes, a PS3 version is coming in October.)
Fallout 3
Resistance 2MotorStorm: Pacific RiftResident Evil 5
Street Fighter IV
Killzone 2inFamousTekken 6God of War IIIGran Turismo 5White Knight Chronicles (formerly called White Knight Story)
Valkyria Chronicles (I have seen it spelled Valkyrja as well)
King of Fighters XII (I am guessing it is a retail release, may turn into PSN in the future).
Final Fantasy XIII games
Future PSN Titles to keep an eye on:
Wipeout HD (
Cool trailer. Game features 1080p graphics, 60 frames per second, 5.1 surround sound.)
PixelJunk Eden
Siren: Blood Curse (An Episodic Survival Horror game)
As for rent/buy, again that depends on your taste in games, plus your financial situation. If you want to spend the least, I suggest rent before you buy as a general rule. According to reviews, the candidates for renting seem to be Heavenly Sword for its short length, and Folklore since it does not appeal to everyone.
A lot of PSN titles do not have demos for you to try. So I suggest doing some research on those games before buying them.